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Mariana Gassmann
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Argentina - Vancouver
Art by Emily Honderich
Mariana Gassmann story
Mariana Gassmann is an artist, teacher, and community facilitator. Since she moved to Vancouver in 2016, she divides her time between her part-time job as an outreach support worker and running her art studio. She is passionate about helping others by facilitating arts and crafts workshops in the community.
Fifteen Minutes Before
2:45 pm, sunlight floods my art studio. I’m excited. I’m nervous.
Why did I get into this? I’ve already checked a million times that everything is in its place. Let’s see once again. My phone, stand, materials…
What if no one shows up? Maybe I should cancel it.
Stop that, Mariana! Thinking like that won’t help. It is too late now. Just fifteen minutes before a complete wreck.
It’s been four years since we moved to Canada. Teaching craft workshops made me part of the community; I found my purpose of helping others.
Now Vancouver is on lock-down, and we can only see each other online.
Five minutes. I can’t wait any longer. I’ll connect, and so be it.
Ding! My mum and sister sign-in from Buenos Aires. Ding again! My godmother from Tierra del Fuego. I haven’t seen her in years. If not a workshop, at least we’ll have a nice family gathering.
Ding! One of my friends from Vancouver. Yes!
Ding, Ding, Ding! I can finally see new faces. People from Mexico, Colombia, and Spain. I love it. Every new “Ding!” makes my heart pound harder. Like a song hitting perfect notes.
The time has come. My first ever online creative workshop.
"It’s been four years since we moved to Canada. Teaching craft workshops made me part of the community; I found my purpose of helping others."